


Secret Santas, Sisters and Not-so-secret Crushes

by Dark_Angel23



Series: 25 Days of Christmas- Prompt Challenge [8]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Christmas Presents, F/F, Honorary Mention- Dragons, M/M, Merlin loves dragons, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:27:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27913006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Angel23/pseuds/Dark_Angel23
Summary: 25 day Christmas Prompt Challenge- Day 8Secret Santa“Who did you get?” His cubicle neighbour, Gwen, poked her head over the partition.Arthur blinked at her.
Relationships: Gwen/Morgana (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: 25 Days of Christmas- Prompt Challenge [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039365
Comments: 5
Kudos: 116





	Secret Santas, Sisters and Not-so-secret Crushes

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, this one is my favourite of the ones I have written so far, so I may have gone a little too far. It's a little longer than usual.  
> Saying that, I would just like to add that this isn't strictly Merthur, even though it is in the tags. It focuses more on Morgana's and Arthur's sibling relationship. But it's still fun to read.

**Day 8-Secret Santa**

Arthur watched the little bag apprehensively as it moved around the room. Possibilities raced around in his head, about who he could get and what he could get them. He carefully watched people’s expressions, trying to gauge who they had gotten and therefore, who was left. It wasn’t successful.

Finally, the little jute bag reached him, and he dug his hand into it, pulling out a folded slip of paper before passing it on. Arthur wasn’t sure why exactly his office was having a secret santa; they weren’t kids anymore; but he had to admit it would be nice to receive a gift from someone and give one in return, with no credit and driven only by the wish to do something nice.

“Who did you get?” His cubicle neighbour, Gwen, poked her head over the partition. Arthur blinked at her.

“Oh! I didn’t check. Hold on a sec.” He opened the folded paper, and after a moment, sighed in relief and surprise. It was Morgana.

“My sister,” He said. “Quite surprising honestly, what were the chances of me getting her name?” Arthur looked up to see a blush creeping up Gwen’s neck.

“Can we,” She cleared her throat. “I mean, do you mind if we exchange them?”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. He had suspected that Gwen fancied his sister, but this was proof. 

“That depends,” He said, “Who did you get?”

“Merlin,” Gwen replied.

Arthur knew Merlin, he was the head of the marketing sector and one of the most imaginative people Arthur knew. He had only met him once, at a company dinner the year before, and didn’t know much about him. Well, it shouldn’t be that difficult to get him a gift then. He had no expectations to live up to.

He shrugged, and offered the paper up to Gwen. Her face split in a smile.

*****

As it turned out, finding a gift for Merlin was not as easy as Arthur thought it was. A scented candle should have been okay, but for some reason he couldn’t make himself get something so measly. Their week-long Christmas break started in two days, and Arthur only had the next to give him the gift.

“For God’s sake, brother dear,” Morgana exclaimed exasperatedly from behind him, where she was trying on a cashmere sweater, “Just get anything. It’s a Secret Santa, not a first date.”

“It might as well be,” Arthur muttered, hoping Morgana wouldn’t hear. So of course she did.

He felt her stiffen behind him, and he whipped around, hoping to squash the idea even before it blossomed. But he was late, a knowing grin had already spread across her face.

“No,” Arthur said absolutely, trying to shake off Morgana from the idea that Arthur fancied Merlin.

“You fancy him!” She exclaimed.

It did not work.

“No!” Arthur whispered loudly, trying to calm her down. “I do _not_.”

“You do!” She practically yelled it this time, paying no heed his hushing. He clapped a hand over her mouth. People were starting to give them odd looks.

Honestly, Arthur wasn’t even sure if he liked him or not. Sure, he was quite handsome, with large blue eyes and god-like cheekbones, and Arthur _did_ lean more towards men than women, but like _like_ him? He wasn’t so sure. All he knew that he wanted to get something nice and original.

A sharp sting of pain went through his hand, pulling him out from his thoughts. Morgana had bitten him, her abnormally sharp teeth going deep enough to leave impressions. Arthur wondered if she routinely sharpened them.

“Ow!” He exclaimed, barely refraining from cursing. They were in a gift shop, a public place, and there were more than a few children here. 

“Your hands stink of sweat,” Morgana told him. 

“Thank you,” Arthur replied sarcastically. 

“You know, I do know something you can get him, if you tell me who has my name.” 

Morgana had been insufferable since Arthur had let loose the fact by mistake that he knew who got her name. She had been pestering him since then, trying to even blackmail him, but Arthur had managed to hold out on his own.

Not now, apparently. He was desperate, and any help he could get would be invaluable. Normally he would have told her an outright no, but now he found himself considering it.

“No,” He told her. No matter that she was his sister, he didn’t want to ruin it for Gwen.

“I won’t tell you about my idea,” Morgana warned.

Arthur shrugged and turned away. “Alright.” He grinned at Morgana’s growl of frustration.

*****

“Morgana! I’m sorry! Please tell me.”

The witch in question (figuratively, not literally) gave him a self-satisfied grin, amused at Arthur begging her for something. It was dinnertime, and Arthur and Morgana had stopped at a diner. Morgana had already bought her gift, the sweater she had been admiring before, and now only Arthur was left.

“I’ll tell you who got your name!”

“Hm…” Morgana mock contemplated, tapping her chin for good measure. “How about…. No.”

Arthur felt like he just plunged into the Mariana Trench. “No? But I’ll tell you!”

“Not enough, brother dear. I want something else as well.”

“What?”

“I want you to put a few good words about me to your coworker, Guinevere.” Out of all the things Arthur had expected, this wasn’t even on the list. “What?” He asked incredulously.

“You heard me,” Morgana sounded awkward and defensive, a feat in itself. “Tell Gwen-”

“No, no,” Arthur cut her off, “I heard you perfectly. I am just surprised, that’s all.”

He was so surprised, that he forgot to tease her about the fact that she fancied Gwen.

“Alright now,” Morgana snapped, trying to get the situation in her control again. “Who got my name?”

“The same person who you just practically told me you liked. In fact, she had asked me to exchange names. I had gotten yours.”

Morgana’s eyes widened, and normally Arthur would have liked seeing the expression on her face, but he was on a time constraint.

“Well?” He snapped. “Tell me, what’s your idea?”

Morgana told him, and where to find it.

* * *

Next day, when Merlin came to his office, a small package was waiting on his desk. It was a statue of a small dragon, curled around a mountain. A card was kept beside it, wishing him a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Merlin grinned. He knew who had given it to him. Of course he did. He had rigged the secret santa.


End file.
